Carlos Boozer

Boozer's value rises with Bulls

carlos boozer

Carlos Boozer should solidify the Bulls' frontcourt, and he still gets to play with a star point guard in Derrick Rose.

For a few years now, it has been extremely clear that the Chicago Bulls, for all their talent, lacked a scorer in the post. Signing Carlos Boozer away from the Utah Jazz for a reported $80 million over five years appears to have remedied that problem, even if the roster as a whole might not be a finished product.

Boozer has a few definable skills in the fantasy game. He generally is good for 20 points per game and has been a double-digit rebounder in each of the past four seasons. Only once in his career has he failed to shoot well over 50 percent from the floor. He has great hands and consistently racks up more than one steal per game. Without question, when healthy, Boozer is a fantastic fantasy player, and that shouldn't change with the Bulls, where his scoring from the power forward position corrects perhaps the biggest flaw in Chicago's roster. Considering the Bulls likely will lose Brad Miller, there will be plenty of minutes for Boozer, too -- more, it seems, than the 34 or so per game he's been playing for the Jazz the past few seasons. If anything, Boozer's stock should be a little higher next season, as long as he's able to remain reasonably healthy.

Paul Millsap should slide into Carlos Boozer's spot in Utah and be a major contributor next season.

 

For the rest of the Bulls, based on what we know as of right now, this has to be seen as a major victory. Boozer's ability to score outside of the paint on jump shots should help open up things for Derrick Rose's superstar-level penetration. I would expect to see Rose have to take fewer bad shots, which should mean more assists (say seven or eight per game instead of six) and a better field goal percentage (up from his already-stellar 49 percent clip last season). Boozer's presence might cost Joakim Noah a rebound or two, but Boozer's ability to score should mesh pretty well with Noah's skills as a passer, and Noah already has proved he's one the league's best rebounders, no matter who is playing alongside him.

I don't see major changes coming statistically for the other Bulls; Boozer's scoring might mean slightly fewer chances for Luol Deng, for example, but the chances Deng does get should be better ones. As any basketball watcher is aware, having a player who can score consistently close to the basket tends to open up things, and Boozer has been a cog in one of the league's most efficient offenses for years now.

That said, Taj Gibson is the Bulls player with the most to lose. After playing nearly 27 minutes per game as a rookie, he'll now be relegated to bench duty, and unless Boozer gets hurt, it's hard to imagine Gibson's playing the same amount of minutes this time around. Gibson is, however, a pretty good shot-blocker, so he deserves to be on your radar as long as he posts 20 or more minutes per contest. 

For the Jazz, clearly, this has to be seen as the big chance for Paul Millsap. He already has been an important fantasy player as Boozer's backup; if his minutes get bumped up from 28 to, say, 36 or so, we could be talking about a top-25 player, given his ability to block shots (1.2 per game last season), get steals (0.8 per game last season) and shoot a high percentage (54 percent for last season). I'd be perfectly happy to spend a fourth-round pick on Millsap in most fantasy drafts.

Obviously, losing a player with Boozer's ability on the offensive end and on the glass hurts a team a lot, but with Millsap as a ready-made replacement, it's possible there might not be too much upheaval. One player to look closely at is Andrei Kirilenko. Never a good bet to stay healthy, Kirilenko tends to be extremely productive in fantasy when he's actually playing, and given the current roster situation for the Jazz, Kirilenko will be an important piece going forward. In fantasy drafts, he is a major risk/reward type of player, but he's one of the few guys around with a top-20 ceiling if everything breaks right.

Losing Boozer isn't great for Deron Williams, but Williams has been the best player on the Jazz for a few seasons now, and I'm not too worried about the fantasy potential of a guy who is, at worst, one of the three best point guards in the world.

For the rest of the Jazz, things probably don't change that much. If there are minimal future roster changes, the Jazz will make up for Boozer's scoring among Millsap, Mehmet Okur, Wesley Matthews and C.J. Miles, but for now, none of their overall fantasy profiles should change much, if at all, save Millsap. The Jazz will continue to play the same style as before, and the only major gainer should be the obvious one: Millsap.

Source: Hornets wait for Thibodeau

The New Orleans Hornets' coaching search will last at least one day longer than expected after the Hornets chose not to enforce a deadline issued earlier this week to Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau.

The Hornets offered their coaching job to Thibodeau last week, but sources close to the situation said they wanted an answer before Thursday night's Game 1 of the NBA Finals and were poised to give the job to Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach Monty Williams if Thibodeau declined.

A resolution is forthcoming Friday, sources said, because the Hornets don't want their search to drag on beyond this week. But after vowing to do so, New Orleans curiously elected not to move on Thursday when Thibodeau -- after meeting with Chicago Bulls officials Wednesday night in Los Angeles -- refused to either commit to the Hornets or withdraw from consideration.

Despite the undeniable tension created by Thibodeau's 11th-hour meeting with the Bulls, sources said the possibility remains New Orleans and Thibodeau could reach an agreement Friday. The Hornets -- while dismayed by the delay and widely reported claim Thibodeau prefers the Chicago job -- have not rescinded Thibodeau's offer and denied reports in the New York Post and Chicago Sun-Times that Thibodeau has turned them down.

But the Chicago Tribune reported on its website Thursday night that the Bulls are "strongly considering" offering their job to Thibodeau after Bulls executives John Paxson and Gar Forman flew to Los Angeles to interview Thibodeau on Wednesday night. Earlier Wednesday, ESPN.com reported Thibodeau had his first interview with the New Jersey Nets earlier this week before the Celtics left Tuesday for Los Angeles.

New Orleans has insisted for weeks that it regards Thibodeau and Williams as 1A and 1B candidates and, according to one source, has sufficient confidence in Williams to give him the job and stop this saga before it bleeds into the weekend. Another source told ESPN.com the Hornets are so high on Williams they have discussed trying to hire him as an associate head coach to Thibodeau.

Why the Bulls waited so long to enter the fray and interview Thibodeau is unclear. Celtics vice president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told ESPN.com on Thursday that New Orleans, Chicago, New Jersey and the Los Angeles Clippers had requested and received permission to interview Thibodeau on any off day during the playoffs more than two weeks ago.

Sources say that Thibodeau's reluctance to accept the Hornets' offer -- his first head coaching opportunity in the NBA -- stems more from Thibodeau's desire to secure an offer from the Bulls or Nets than Boston's ongoing playoff obligations.

The Celtics' willingness to let Thibodeau interview with several teams, at a time his stock has never been higher, would in turn suggest that he is not likely to be a candidate to replace Doc Rivers should Rivers decide to walk away at season's end to spend more time with his family.

In an interview with ESPN.com's J.A. Adande before the Finals, Rivers acknowledged the possibility that both he and Lakers coach Phil Jackson could be leaving their respective benches at the end of the series, saying: "It's interesting both ways. Both of us have our own reasons, but I don't think either one of us think about it. I don't think about it at all."

Numerous NBA coaching sources believe that Ainge's former teammate Kevin McHale will receive strong consideration for Rivers' post if the Celtics wind up needing a new coach next season. McHale has been working for NBA TV and TNT this season after a long stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which ended for McHale as a coach stripped of his front-office duties less than two years after trading Kevin Garnett to Boston in July 2007.

McHale is also among the candidates for the Bulls' job, according to the Chicago Tribune. The newspaper has also identified Houston Rockets assistant Elston Turner and Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Maurice Cheeks as Bulls candidates, while ESPN.com reported last week that the Bulls had interviewed former New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank.

During Boston's Eastern Conference finals series against Orlando, Thibodeau emerged as the top choice of Hornets general manager Jeff Bower, who is close with ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, perhaps Thibodeau's biggest fan in the coaching business. But the Hornets were understandably peeved by the lack of an answer Thursday from Thibodeau, while rumblings persist that Hornets star Chris Paul would prefer Williams, who got his coaching start under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio before joining the Blazers.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have been dealing with the uncertainty surrounding Thibodeau's future for several days, but Rivers continues to insist that the interest from other teams in his top assist as well as the mounting media coverage about Thibodeau's next move have not created a distraction for his team.

"I'm not worried about it," Rivers said last week. "Listen, nobody works harder than Tom Thibodeau, ever. He'd never be distracted from this job."

See Also :

Thibodeau brings experience, Respect

Belmont Stakes Post Time 

Source: Hornets wait for Thibodeau

The New Orleans Hornets' coaching search will last at least one day longer than expected after the Hornets chose not to enforce a deadline issued earlier this week to Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau.

The Hornets offered their coaching job to Thibodeau last week, but sources close to the situation said they wanted an answer before Thursday night's Game 1 of the NBA Finals and were poised to give the job to Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach Monty Williams if Thibodeau declined.

A resolution is forthcoming Friday, sources said, because the Hornets don't want their search to drag on beyond this week. But after vowing to do so, New Orleans curiously elected not to move on Thursday when Thibodeau -- after meeting with Chicago Bulls officials Wednesday night in Los Angeles -- refused to either commit to the Hornets or withdraw from consideration.

Despite the undeniable tension created by Thibodeau's 11th-hour meeting with the Bulls, sources said the possibility remains New Orleans and Thibodeau could reach an agreement Friday. The Hornets -- while dismayed by the delay and widely reported claim Thibodeau prefers the Chicago job -- have not rescinded Thibodeau's offer and denied reports in the New York Post and Chicago Sun-Times that Thibodeau has turned them down.

But the Chicago Tribune reported on its website Thursday night that the Bulls are "strongly considering" offering their job to Thibodeau after Bulls executives John Paxson and Gar Forman flew to Los Angeles to interview Thibodeau on Wednesday night. Earlier Wednesday, ESPN.com reported Thibodeau had his first interview with the New Jersey Nets earlier this week before the Celtics left Tuesday for Los Angeles.

New Orleans has insisted for weeks that it regards Thibodeau and Williams as 1A and 1B candidates and, according to one source, has sufficient confidence in Williams to give him the job and stop this saga before it bleeds into the weekend. Another source told ESPN.com the Hornets are so high on Williams they have discussed trying to hire him as an associate head coach to Thibodeau.

Why the Bulls waited so long to enter the fray and interview Thibodeau is unclear. Celtics vice president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told ESPN.com on Thursday that New Orleans, Chicago, New Jersey and the Los Angeles Clippers had requested and received permission to interview Thibodeau on any off day during the playoffs more than two weeks ago.

Sources say that Thibodeau's reluctance to accept the Hornets' offer -- his first head coaching opportunity in the NBA -- stems more from Thibodeau's desire to secure an offer from the Bulls or Nets than Boston's ongoing playoff obligations.

The Celtics' willingness to let Thibodeau interview with several teams, at a time his stock has never been higher, would in turn suggest that he is not likely to be a candidate to replace Doc Rivers should Rivers decide to walk away at season's end to spend more time with his family.

In an interview with ESPN.com's J.A. Adande before the Finals, Rivers acknowledged the possibility that both he and Lakers coach Phil Jackson could be leaving their respective benches at the end of the series, saying: "It's interesting both ways. Both of us have our own reasons, but I don't think either one of us think about it. I don't think about it at all."

Numerous NBA coaching sources believe that Ainge's former teammate Kevin McHale will receive strong consideration for Rivers' post if the Celtics wind up needing a new coach next season. McHale has been working for NBA TV and TNT this season after a long stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which ended for McHale as a coach stripped of his front-office duties less than two years after trading Kevin Garnett to Boston in July 2007.

McHale is also among the candidates for the Bulls' job, according to the Chicago Tribune. The newspaper has also identified Houston Rockets assistant Elston Turner and Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Maurice Cheeks as Bulls candidates, while ESPN.com reported last week that the Bulls had interviewed former New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank.

During Boston's Eastern Conference finals series against Orlando, Thibodeau emerged as the top choice of Hornets general manager Jeff Bower, who is close with ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, perhaps Thibodeau's biggest fan in the coaching business. But the Hornets were understandably peeved by the lack of an answer Thursday from Thibodeau, while rumblings persist that Hornets star Chris Paul would prefer Williams, who got his coaching start under Gregg Popovich in San Antonio before joining the Blazers.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have been dealing with the uncertainty surrounding Thibodeau's future for several days, but Rivers continues to insist that the interest from other teams in his top assist as well as the mounting media coverage about Thibodeau's next move have not created a distraction for his team.

"I'm not worried about it," Rivers said last week. "Listen, nobody works harder than Tom Thibodeau, ever. He'd never be distracted from this job."

See Also :

Thibodeau brings experience, Respect

Belmont Stakes Post Time 

Tom Thibodeau

Thibodeau brings experience, Respect

Why did the Chicago Bulls decide Tom Thibodeau was the right man for the job?

Here are a few reasons why the Boston Celtics' assistant will be introduced as the new head coach of the Bulls once the NBA Finals end:

1. A player's coach: By almost all accounts, Thibodeau is beloved by the players he has coached. He is able to break down each player's game and consistently finds a way to make them better. Players respect his work ethic and trust him. In listening to players speak about him over the past few years, it's clear that he has the ability to connect with all types of players."Tom's a workaholic," Celtics forward Paul Pierce said recently. "I'm always catching him in there working, watching film in his office. He's probably the most prepared coach I've ever seen."

Celtics forward Glen Davis may have summed up the team's feelings towards Thibodeau best.

"I have no trouble following a guy who knows exactly where he's going," he told the Boston Globe.

2. More than a defensive guru: Thibodeau made a name for himself, at least nationally, by essentially being the defensive coordinator for the Celtics. But if you ask his peers, there is far more to him than simply being a defensive whiz. The Bulls wouldn't have decided on him unless they liked what they heard when he started talking about his offensive principals. Rivers and former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy, who hired Thibodeau in New York and Houston, made it a point in recent weeks to go out of their way to praise Thibodeau for his ability in other areas of the game as well. One of the biggest knocks on former Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro was that he didn't run a very imaginative offense. It will be interesting to see how Thibodeau incorporates Derrick Rose and any prospective free agent into this new era of Bulls basketball.

3. Basketball is his life: Thibodeau is the first guy to enter the gym in the morning and the last one to leave at night. Ask most people about Thibodeau, and his work ethic is one of the first things that they will mention. That's not a knock on Del Negro, who was also a very hard worker and routinely put in long hours, but Thibodeau sounds like the type of guy who will watch game film until his eyes bleed. He has earned a reputation as a workaholic and that will probably fit in nicely alongside Rose, who is regularly the last player to leave the Berto Center.

4. No NBA head coaching experience? No problem: Thibodeau may not have much head coaching experience (just one season as a head coach at Salem State), but he does have plenty of coaching experience as he gets set to lead the Bulls. He has been an assistant coach/scout for nearly three decades, and the organization must feel confident that he can impart that wisdom on its young core of players. The biggest knock on Del Negro was that he had no previous coaching experience before he was hired by the Bulls two years ago. He was learning on the job, and he had troubles at certain points, especially in his first season, with game situations.

In an ironic twist, Thibodeau actually coached Del Negro when he played with the San Antonio Spurs in the early 1990s so it will be interesting to see if the pair ends up discussing the job at some point in the next few weeks.

It was widely assumed that the Bulls would go after someone who had previous head coaching experience, especially considering that actually passed over Thibodeau two years ago when they hired Del Negro. But in the end they must have felt as if Thibodeau gave them the best chance to win right now. Surely there will be some fans who wonder why it took so long for Thibodeau to land a coaching job, but I thought Van Gundy gave the most direct answer when the Orlando Sentinel asked him that very question recently:

"He's a serious-minded professional but in the job market, that's almost been construed as a negative," Van Gundy said. "In that, he's too serious. Now when you start getting knocked down for being too serious about your job, then you know we have a problem in America.

"He has a good way with players, particularly star players. He's direct and honest, but he has a very good sense of humor."

That is what the Bulls are banking on, and that is probably one of the biggest reasons why they've decided that he is the right man for the job.

See Also :

Belmont Stakes Post Time 

Tom Thibodeau

Thibodeau brings experience, Respect

Why did the Chicago Bulls decide Tom Thibodeau was the right man for the job?

Here are a few reasons why the Boston Celtics' assistant will be introduced as the new head coach of the Bulls once the NBA Finals end:

1. A player's coach: By almost all accounts, Thibodeau is beloved by the players he has coached. He is able to break down each player's game and consistently finds a way to make them better. Players respect his work ethic and trust him. In listening to players speak about him over the past few years, it's clear that he has the ability to connect with all types of players."Tom's a workaholic," Celtics forward Paul Pierce said recently. "I'm always catching him in there working, watching film in his office. He's probably the most prepared coach I've ever seen."

Celtics forward Glen Davis may have summed up the team's feelings towards Thibodeau best.

"I have no trouble following a guy who knows exactly where he's going," he told the Boston Globe.

2. More than a defensive guru: Thibodeau made a name for himself, at least nationally, by essentially being the defensive coordinator for the Celtics. But if you ask his peers, there is far more to him than simply being a defensive whiz. The Bulls wouldn't have decided on him unless they liked what they heard when he started talking about his offensive principals. Rivers and former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy, who hired Thibodeau in New York and Houston, made it a point in recent weeks to go out of their way to praise Thibodeau for his ability in other areas of the game as well. One of the biggest knocks on former Bulls head coach Vinny Del Negro was that he didn't run a very imaginative offense. It will be interesting to see how Thibodeau incorporates Derrick Rose and any prospective free agent into this new era of Bulls basketball.

3. Basketball is his life: Thibodeau is the first guy to enter the gym in the morning and the last one to leave at night. Ask most people about Thibodeau, and his work ethic is one of the first things that they will mention. That's not a knock on Del Negro, who was also a very hard worker and routinely put in long hours, but Thibodeau sounds like the type of guy who will watch game film until his eyes bleed. He has earned a reputation as a workaholic and that will probably fit in nicely alongside Rose, who is regularly the last player to leave the Berto Center.

4. No NBA head coaching experience? No problem: Thibodeau may not have much head coaching experience (just one season as a head coach at Salem State), but he does have plenty of coaching experience as he gets set to lead the Bulls. He has been an assistant coach/scout for nearly three decades, and the organization must feel confident that he can impart that wisdom on its young core of players. The biggest knock on Del Negro was that he had no previous coaching experience before he was hired by the Bulls two years ago. He was learning on the job, and he had troubles at certain points, especially in his first season, with game situations.

In an ironic twist, Thibodeau actually coached Del Negro when he played with the San Antonio Spurs in the early 1990s so it will be interesting to see if the pair ends up discussing the job at some point in the next few weeks.

It was widely assumed that the Bulls would go after someone who had previous head coaching experience, especially considering that actually passed over Thibodeau two years ago when they hired Del Negro. But in the end they must have felt as if Thibodeau gave them the best chance to win right now. Surely there will be some fans who wonder why it took so long for Thibodeau to land a coaching job, but I thought Van Gundy gave the most direct answer when the Orlando Sentinel asked him that very question recently:

"He's a serious-minded professional but in the job market, that's almost been construed as a negative," Van Gundy said. "In that, he's too serious. Now when you start getting knocked down for being too serious about your job, then you know we have a problem in America.

"He has a good way with players, particularly star players. He's direct and honest, but he has a very good sense of humor."

That is what the Bulls are banking on, and that is probably one of the biggest reasons why they've decided that he is the right man for the job.

See Also :

Belmont Stakes Post Time